Return to Sand
by Ice-Princess-Amber
Summary: Sequel to Allies of Sand. After nearly 3 years, what new adventures await Kohaku, Kurai, and Senjo? After facing their demons to aid Konoha, can they now fight the return of Akatsuki?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This is set for the timejump of 2 1/2 years after Allies of Sand. This chapter has been edited (again, but for the last time) due to outfit changes and a few minor additions.

Triumphant Return We're STILL friends

Kurai walked through the gates to the village of Hidden Sand and breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a little over a week since he'd been sent on a reconnaissance mission on the southern border. Foreign ninjas had been seen recently, asking questions regarding not only the village, but also the Kazekage. Rolling his eyes at his own thought, the young Jounin shook his head, reaching up to adjust the cloth wrapped around his head that marked him as a Jounin. Gaara of the Desert, who he'd spent the better part of his life hating, was now his village leader. Most of the Hajino clan had wanted to leave their home when the idea was brought up, but Kurai and his siblings had vowed to stay. _'We are ninjas, not cowards,' _Kurai had told his father and uncles. _'We did not leave when he was born, and I will not leave now. Hidden Sand is our home, and I will have no other.'_

"Daydreaming again?" a soft voice broke into his thoughts. Kurai smiled as he turned to hug the redheaded girl who was walking up.

"I missed you, Senjo."

"Same here," she replied as she tugged on his black shirt and gave him a quick kiss. The years since Kurai's slightly reluctant acceptance of Gaara had been happier for the couple. Free to finally grow as his own person, Kurai had made a concerted effort to turn the younger members of the clan to a new way of thinking: Free will. While his father had scowled and called it a disgrace, Senjo and her family stood by the young man. After all, it had been Senjo's friendship with Gaara that had first started the whole thing.

"Any news I should know about?" he wondered.

"Not really. The Genins are still in their competition to see who will go to the exam. Temari left a day or so ago to start the talks with Hidden Leaf, so everything should be coming together soon."

"Good. Then maybe Daichi will-" Kurai stopped walking, senses on alert as he felt a familiar chakra close by. "Hang on a moment, Senjo." Focusing chakra in his arm, Kurai plunged it into the ground and seemed like he was trying to grab something. A few moments later he stood up, holding a leg that he began pulling on. When the person was sitting on the ground, glaring at them, the couple laughed. "You've got to keep more of your chakra in reserve, Daichi," Kurai told his little brother, dusting his hands off on his tan vest and matching shorts. "I can still sense you."

"But not until I was below you," the almost thirteen year-old countered with a grin as he removed his breathing mask. From the shadow of the nearest building came the other two members of his team: Inkei, Senjo's younger brother, and Hattori Riki. She was the "new" addition to the boys, the powerhouse of a girl who was not afraid to assert herself physically. More than once she'd even challenged Kurai to a fight, and she was a decent match for him in terms of power. So far, they were one of the teams most likely to be going to the Chuunin exam.

"He's got you there," Inkei said, pulling his teammate to his feet. Riki shook her head and punched Daichi's arm lightly.

"Come on, we've got serious work to do," she told them.

"But this **is** serious work," Daichi argued.

"Yeah, yeah, come on." Pulling both Inkei and Daichi, Riki was headed for the village gates. The trio often practiced in the desert near the cliffs, which afforded them not only privacy, but also decent ground for all of them to train. When the Genins had left, Kurai and Senjo continued on their way to the Kazekage's office. They passed Senjo's father Seishin, who winked at the couple.

"Kohaku is in there," he told them. "Best to give her a few minutes." Nodding, they sat down next to Seishin and kept their eyes on the door. For all that their team was inseparable, they had taken very different paths since their return from the Leaf village over two years ago. Kurai had focused himself wholly on his training, becoming a Jounin a year later, to the delight of his father. Senjo, content to train and work with her mother on prisoners and matters of espionage, had so far remained a Chuunin. There'd been talk of Naiteki retiring once Inkei became a Chuunin, which meant that Senjo might soon find herself tested to be a Jounin and take over the village interrogator position. And Kohaku-

"…I understand, Kazekage-sama," came her voice as the door opened. Gaara stood at his desk, dressed in the robe of his office. The hat was lying on the desk, and he ran a hand through his flattened hair. Seishin ushered Kurai inside, but then Gaara turned and saw he had an audience in the hallway.

"Tanamari Senjo, so nice of you to visit. You may come in as well." She smiled and bowed her head slightly, closing the door behind her. Gaara had recently been allowing her more access to the missions and results, as befitted her station as her mother's apprentice. Though he still insisted on being formal with her, behind closed doors she addressed him not as the Kazekage, but as her friend Gaara. "Hajino Kurai, your report please?"

"Unfortunately, I found no immediate trace of the foreigners in the border towns. However, the villagers told me that two of them have been coming more frequently, and they are always the same ones." He paused for a moment, not sure how his next bit of news would be taken. "Also, they were able to describe the uniforms they wore."

"Uniforms? So they are from a hidden village?"

"Sort of. They wore black robes with red cloud-like designs on them, and straw traveling hats. One of the restaurants I checked into even said they saw a heavily scratched forehead protector on one of them, but couldn't make out which village it was from. No one really went near them, as one did not even appear human, and crawled on all fours." Senjo's eyes were wide at this point, and Gaara turned to look out the window behind him. Kohaku was standing by the desk, arms folded across her chest. Though she had long given up wearing her armguards, the loose shirt she wore still covered her arms most of the time, and with its brown-and-tan triangle design, there were times Kohaku seemed to blend into the landscape around the village.

"You think it's them?" she asked.

"From what I heard, I'd say it's a pretty fair guess."

"So, Akatsuki finally shows itself," Gaara said.

"Should I alert the guards?" Senjo asked softly.

"They will come for me," came the desert-child's reply. "I will have no useless bloodshed. If they are spotted, the only course of action is to find me."

"But-"

"That is my final word."

"Yes Gaara." Senjo nervously played with the edge of her tan-and-brown skirt, blushing slightly when she saw Kurai glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She was glad for the black shorts she wore underneath, but she still switched to fussing with the pink sash she'd worn since she'd been a Genin and Kohaku had given it to her.

"You wouldn't want back-up?" Kurai asked, refocusing himself quickly. "It would be two on one."

"If they manage to defeat me and go after the village, that is when you will act. Kurai, I will need your word that the Hajino clan will protect the village if I cannot."

"You have it then. This is our home, and we would die for it."

"Let us hope it does not come to that. You are all dismissed." The trio bowed and left the office, and Kohaku followed her friend and brother into the street.

"I'm looking forward to a good meal," she said, placing her mask in a special pouch around the waist of her black pants. She was one of the few hunter-nins the Hidden Sand village relied on. Quick, merciless, and a little sadistic, Kohaku had yet to lose a target she was assigned to. She always said the trick to her success was that she envisioned the target as either Tansei, Kuro, or Makoto, and it was easy to accomplish her mission. She never discussed her missions, even with Kurai, and he found it slightly disturbing. But just the fact that she was normal most of the time was enough to put his fears at ease regarding her sanity.

"You'll be joining us for dinner, then?" her brother asked, an eyebrow raised.

"More than likely. Daisuke is working a late night out on the cliffs, and Daichi's been complaining about there being no one to talk to." She paused for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "And Father's been on his case about the exam coming up."

"It's to be expected," Kurai replied with his own small sigh. "Until we're all Jounins and out on our own, he won't let anything slide."

"Hence why I left as soon as I could."

"Speaking of leaving," Senjo interrupted with a smile. "When are you moving out, Kurai?" He put an arm around her waist and squeezed lightly, running his hand around the black translucent jacket she wore until his fingers brushed against its dark pink border. Senjo squirmed a bit, which only succeeded in allowing his hand to land squarely on the dark pink shirt she wore underneath.

"Soon, I promise."

"Be careful, or you'll have both Daichi and Inkei after you to move in."

"Eh, Inkei can deal with my parents until he's a Chuunin at least. Besides, I think he might soon have a certain teammate after him," the redhead explained, wiggling away from Kurai to close the jacket with its flower-shaped clasps. Once it enclosed her from neck to shins, she felt slightly safer and leaned into her boyfriend once again.

"Oh, you think Riki likes him?"

"I'm not sure, but Daichi certainly doesn't show any interest in her, and Inkei is just… Well, he is my little brother."

"Which means he latches onto the closest female?" Kurai ducked as Senjo swatted him on the head, and the trio dissolved into laughter. They were always like this now when they got together, which wasn't often. Between the twins' missions and Senjo's sometimes odd hours, it was a wonder they ever saw each other. They reached the part of the village reserved for the Hajino Clan, and headed for the main house. Atsui was outside, hanging a few lanterns up for the night. "Hello, mother." The older woman turned at her son's voice, and a smile brightened her face.

"You're back! How was everything? Was the mission successful?" Though not a ninja herself, some of Atsui's family had been, and the clan she'd married into were all ninjas. Missions that took her husband and children away for extended periods were common to her now.

"Sort of," Kurai replied with a shrug. "I'd prefer not to discuss the details now."

"Of course. You three must be hungry. Dinner is almost ready, if you don't mind helping me get the table set?"

"Not at all, Atsui-san," Senjo told her as they walked inside.

"Do you have enough for six?" Kohaku asked as they removed their sandals.

"Daisuke have a night patrol?"

"Out at the cliffs. If it's too much trouble-"

"Kohaku, it's never trouble to feed my children. I always make extra just for this reason. Daichi takes the leftovers when he goes to train anyway." The girl grinned and went to help her brother set the table. Senjo was dishing out everything to the plates and bowls, and soon dinner was on the table.

"Smells good!" Daichi said as he walked in covered in dust.

"Upstairs and wash up, young man!" Atsui said sternly, pointing at him.

"Yes, mother," he said, quickly trotting up the steps.

"Was that just Daichi- Oh, you're all here," Hajino Taru said as he entered the kitchen from the opposite side of the hall. More than likely he had been training in the special room in the center of the house.

"Yes Father. Kohaku is even joining us tonight," Kurai told him. Taru's dark eyes swept over his daughter for a moment as he nodded.

"It's just as well. I'd almost think you'd been avoiding us lately."

"No Father. It's just that I've been going on a number of extended missions as of late." It wasn't a total lie, except that she had been avoiding the house for the past few months. Taru criticized everything the children did, if for no other reason than he believed they could do better. Though he hadn't outright said it, Kohaku had heard rumors that he wanted Kurai to challenge Gaara again soon; the stakes being that the title of Kazekage would go to Kurai instead. Neither boy would ever agree to that, she knew. Daichi came down sufficiently clean, and then they all sat at the table and began eating.

"So Kurai, what was this new mission you were on?" Taru wondered.

"A bit of reconnaissance, actually. There were stories coming from some of the border towns that foreign ninja were asking questions about the village."

"And?"

"The Kazekage and I agree that Akatsuki seems to finally be showing itself."

"They will be coming here then?"

"We believe so. If what I learned in Konoha two years ago was true, they are coming for Shukaku."

"Is there a battle plan for when they arrive?" The trio looked at one another, and Taru stared at them for a moment. "Kurai?"

"Hajino-san, it's not really much of a battle plan, per se," Senjo began. "The Kazekage's orders were to find him if Akatsuki showed up."

"He feels he can take them on single-handedly?"

"He's going to try," Kohaku added. "But he acknowledged that he might fail-"

"That is inevitable. Is there a second plan?"

"Us, actually," Kurai told him.

"Mind explaining that further?"

"The Kazekage told me that if he fails to defeat Akatsuki, he wants our Clan to protect the village at all costs."

"He… He told you that?" Taru had an odd look on his face: Slight surprise mixed with what could've been a smirk.

"Yes sir. He knows that together, we are very powerful. We are the village's final line of defense if the Kazekage falls."

"I'm well aware of that, Kurai. I'm just a little surprised that he would admit that to you, being his greatest rival."

"He's also our friend," Senjo reminded him.

"Not mine." That was Taru's typical answer to Senjo's admittance of being Gaara's friend, and the redhead was slowly getting sick of it. Though no longer openly hostile to Gaara and his siblings, Taru still disliked them, and made it known behind closed doors. Often loudly.

"Senjo," Atsui said after a moment of awkward silence, "Your mother mentioned something the other day about testing you as a Jounin."

"She's thinking about retiring, and wants me to be a Jounin beforehand. But until Inkei passes the Chuunin Exam, nothing is set in stone."

"And your father?" Taru asked, getting into the conversation once more. The redhead smiled as she thought of Seishin.

"He's going to be a ninja until he can't move anymore. Mother would chase him out of the house at least once a day if all he did was sit around."

"Probably what **my** mother is dreading one day," Kohaku whispered quickly. The children all laughed, and Atsui quirked an eyebrow at them. They quieted down immediately, and dinner was finished in relative peace. Afterwards, Taru and Atsui went upstairs, leaving the others in the training room.

"So Daichi, any word yet one who's going to the Chuunin Exam?" Kurai wondered. The younger boy shrugged and went back to focusing on maintaining his sand armor. While he used to only be able to maintain it on one part of his body, recently he'd been perfecting how to cover his entire body for longer spans of time.

"So far it might be two or three teams, us included. We find out tomorrow, actually. Riki is positive that we'll be going."

"And you?" Again, he shrugged.

"I'm prepared for whatever the teachers say." He opened one eye and smiled a bit. "But it would be really cool if we went. Maybe I would be able to see some of the Konoha ninjas you three met."

"Sakura would probably be able to give you guys a little tour if I gave her enough of a heads-up," Kohaku said. She had kept in contact with the pink-haired girl since she'd met her, and had even seen her take the Chuunin Exam and pass quite a while ago.

"By the way, any word on Naruto?" Senjo asked hopefully. She missed the loud-mouthed blonde, and it seemed he'd dropped off the face of the earth since heading out with Jiraiya over two years ago. Kohaku shook her head and sighed.

"Not a thing. Wherever he is, he hasn't made any contact with Konoha. Sakura's beginning to get worried, but she knows that he's in good hands."

"With a perverted hermit?" Kurai said with a smirk. "He might be one of the Sannin, but he's still a dirty old man."

"Getting a glimpse as to what your future will be like?" Kohaku shot back.

"Hey, I don't stare at girls!"

"Only Senjo," Daichi added with a grin of his own, breaking his concentration and walking over to them while trailing sand. While the redhead blushed fiercely, Kurai gave her a kiss as the other two chuckled.

"Well, look at it this way: If Naruto visits and manages to get Senjo drunk, we'll know his training was a success," Kohaku said as she ducked a swat from her friend. Kurai frowned as his sister dissolved into laughter again.

"If anyone's going to get her drunk, it'll be me," he said defiantly.

"I don't know, Kurai," Senjo said with a giggle. "After all, Naruto might one day be Hokage, and women can't resist a man in power."

"You seem to be doing a good job of resisting Gaara," he replied, quirking an eyebrow. "Or do I need to reissue my challenge over your honor?"

"Gaara-sama is always so calm," Daichi spoke up. "There's no way he'd go for you, Senjo. You're too bouncy."

"Sometimes you need a little bounce in your life, Daichi," she told him, narrowing her eyes. "So if you don't want me to put **you** into a never-ending nightmare of bouncing Senjos, you'll get back to practicing until you are as good as Gaara or your brother!" The younger boy immediately straightened up and went back to the center of the training room.

"You get more like your mother every day," Kurai said with a shake of his head.

"We all have to grow up sometime, Kurai."

"Yeah, I know. Lucky for us we got it over with years ago." The trio smiled and broke away to practice some of their own techniques on the training dummies.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Due to the anime being drastically different than the manga, this chapter has also had an overhaul. I am trying to closely follow the anime, since I first began writing based on that. This will also be the last time this chapter is redone.

Chapter 2

It was a few days later, and Kurai was still mulling over Gaara's words about his clan defending the village if he could not. He was so deep in thought that he didn't see Seishin until he bumped into the older man. "Hey there!"

"Hm? Oh, Tanamari-san!" Kurai quickly bowed in apology. "Sorry, didn't see you there." Seishin chuckled and straightened his head covering.

"It's all right. But what are you so lost in thought about?"

"Something the Kazekage said to me the other day, concerning the possibility of Akatsuki attacking the village."

"After nearly three years, it's a chance they won't bother with us."

"There is still the Shukaku," Kurai reminded him. Seishin frowned a bit.

"I know. If it's not your father still carrying on, it's some of the older Jounins complaining that we have a child leading us, tailed beast or no. Far as I'm concerned, we're doing okay, and the village is still in once piece."

"Senjo says the same thing," the young man said with a smile.

"Well, in a few years she'll be me!" Kurai grimaced at the sudden mental image of Senjo looking like her father, but he quickly laughed it away.

"Yes, but hopefully I won't **look** like you," the aforementioned redhead as she came up behind her father. "Hey Kurai. Hope he didn't say anything bad about me."

"Actually we were just talking about the Kazekage." Kurai tried to only use his title when referring to Gaara, though around Senjo it was difficult.

"Oh, you mean his comment about the Hajino Clan defending the village should something happen?"

"Yeah, that." Senjo pursed her lips for a moment. She didn't want to think about anything bad happening to her friend. Seishin saw the look on her face and ruffled both the teens' hair.

"Look, you two can be all doom and gloom later. Right now, I want a hug from my daughter before I start my evening." Senjo obliged with a smile, wrapping her arms around Seishin's neck and giving him a quick squeeze. "Now that that's settled, I'll be out at the far cliffs if anyone needs me."

"Back late, then?"

"Tell your mother not to burn dinner waiting up for me." With that, the Jounin left, raising a hand as he headed down the street.

"So, where are you off to, Kurai?" Senjo wondered.

"I have patrol at the Kazekage's building tonight. Nothing major, just door guard. Want to keep me company for a little while?"

"Sure, I don't have anything until tomorrow when Mother needs my help going over some new paperwork." The couple linked hands and then headed off in the opposite direction that Seishin had gone.

Kohaku was enjoying the feel of the setting sun on her face as she took a break from practicing. Sekkou, one of her summoned creatures, was lying beside her, wriggling her nose at the young Jounin. "It's too hot out here," the small mole complained, quickly throwing sand over her kitten-sized body to keep cool. Though the temperature had dropped significantly since the afternoon, the mole still preferred cool forests and fields to the dry desert.

"You could always go back," The dark-haired girl said as she turned her head to talk to Sekkou directly. "Unless you feel I need more practice?"

"No, you're following my directions pretty well lately. A lot better than when you first started." Kohaku laughed a bit as she remembered when she'd first started using summoned creatures. Though at one time she'd told Temari she preferred her techniques and staff, she'd soon seen the advantage to having a partner always ready to be called if need be. Sekkou had been the first she'd been able to summon successfully, and the little mole had begun putting the shinobi through the paces of learning how to scout and eavesdrop better than she had been. The two of them had made a pretty good team, and along with Sekkou's elder brother, Kohaku had not had a major problem on any of her missions. The wind picked up again, but this time, along with the fading heat, it brought the tingling sensation of approaching chakra.

"Sekkou-"

"I'm on it!" The mole quickly dug into the sand using her powerful front legs. Kohaku paused only a moment to place a breathing mask over her mouth and nose before also sinking beneath the sand. Daichi had been the one to suggest travel beneath the sand, and the twins had found it very useful when close to home. Following Sekkou's chakra trail, Kohaku felt the foreign chakra getting closer. Finally she decided she was close enough and stopped, sending out her senses carefully to see what she could find. There were three people, two with massive amounts of chakra, slowly making their way towards the village. Suddenly, one of them left the ground, and Kohaku guessed they were airborne somehow. The others remained perfectly still, as if waiting. Suddenly, something bumped into her, and Kohaku realized it was Sekkou. The little mole was pushing at her insistently, and Kohaku finally retreated a ways and surfaced. With a quick glance, she realized they had traveled near the main entrance to the village hidden along the cliffs. But what could have gotten past the guards there?

"What's wrong?" she demanded, seeing that Sekkou was shaking.

"You remember that group you told me about? The ones after the Kazekage?"

"Akatsuki? You're sure it was them?" Every nerve in Kohaku's body was on alert, and she knew they couldn't waste time.

"I took a long enough look that I saw their cloaks, and I'm pretty sure one of them saw me! But they've got someone else with them too, though I didn't stay to see who it was." Kohaku picked up her friend and nodded.

"Head back, Sekkou. I'll call Kaisaku if I need help." Without another word, the mole vanished back into her realm, and Kohaku was racing for the village wall away from the cliffs. "Please let me be in time. **Please** let me be in time."

Kurai's senses detected an odd chakra, but he couldn't pinpoint it. "Senjo, do you feel that?" Her senses had been improving since studying fully under her mother, and she could tell who was walking down the street simply by their chakra signature. The redhead closed her eyes and expanded her senses, searching for an unknown entity. She picked it up a moment later, heading towards the building, but something didn't seem right.

"There's something, but it almost seems like-" A trio of explosions from the roof of the building grabbed their attention, and they were on their feet in an instant. "Gaara!"

"Get to your mother's and have them sound the alarm!" Kurai said as the other guards quickly raced into the building. He followed a moment later, but when they reached the Kazekage's office, it was empty.

"Where is he?" someone asked.

"Spread out and alert the village!" Kurai said when he saw them standing around. If someone attacked us, the Kazekage will be after them." The Chuunin guards all scattered out of the room, and Kurai got to the window and onto the balcony. As he looked up, he saw what he'd feared. Gaara was standing on the roof of the building, sand flowing around him. Above him, circling through the sky, was a person on a giant bird the likes of which Kurai had never seen. He leapt across to another building, hoping he would be able to do something.

_'Kurai, I will need your word that the Hajino clan will protect the village if I cannot.'_ The Jounin grit his teeth as he kept an eye on the boy he still considered a friendly rival.

"Show them the power of Hidden Sand, Gaara. Show them your power."

Senjo was halfway to her mother's office when she saw Naiteki leading a squad down the street. "Get all non-combatants inside, and move all squads to defensive positions!" she ordered as her team nodded and dispersed. "Senjo, what the hell is going on?"

"Akatsuki!" the girl said as she changed direction and ran alongside her mother. "They attacked the Kazekage's office, and Kurai told me to get you."

"Where is he?"

"He went inside to check on Gaara."

"Naiteki-san!" a familiar voice called out. A Jounin was beside them a moment later, the eye that was visible narrowed in anger.

"Baki, where's the Kazekage?"

"Dealing with the threat to the village. I have a team ready to assist him."

"Has the Hajino Clan been alerted?"

"They are mobilizing for a counter-assault should the need arise."

"What about the sentries at the cliffs? How the hell did Akatsuki get past them?" Baki shook his head and shrugged.

"We haven't heard from them, but there's a chance they were taken out." He raced down another street, taking to the roofs to meet his team. Naiteki looked at Senjo, who nodded.

"Let's get to the cliffs and get some answers there. The village might have more to worry about than an air assault."

Kohaku entered the village via the outer wall and made eye contact with the two sentries. "Your clan is preparing counter-measures!" one called down. "Find them!"

"All right!" she answered, having no intention of actually finding her family. Suddenly, she spotted Daichi and his team up ahead, hiding in the shadow of a building. "Get inside!" she ordered, coming up behind them. "This is no place for Genins."

"Gaara-sama is up there!" Daichi told her, pointing to the air. Kohaku focused her eyes and saw a floating ball of sand, no doubt belonging to Gaara. She also noticed a large bird, which was carrying someone on its back.

"Whoever that person is, they were flying through the streets up until a few minutes ago," Inkei quickly brought her up-to-speed. "The Kazekage was following with his sand, and that's why everyone's out here." Kohaku glanced around to see that the buildings were crowded with people who wanted to watch the fight between their Kazekage and the unknown assailant. It was something that she would not have pictured two years ago. Suddenly there was a duo of explosions in the air, and the ball of sand sent out a tendril that snared the person off the bird.

"Sabaku kyuu!" they all heard, as Gaara unleashed one of his more common attacks. His attacker fell, and a spray of blood came from their arm as Gaara retracted the sand back into the defensive ball.

"Looks like it's all over," Riki said with a smile. But Kohaku wasn't so sure, and when the bird swooped to catch its rider, she had a very bad feeling.

"Get inside, now," she told the kids, pushing Daichi towards the door of the building. But he pushed back, wanting to watch. "Daichi, plea-" And that's when she saw it: A large object plummeting towards the village. There was chakra laced into it, and Kohaku realized with sudden fear what it was. "**Get down**!" she screamed, as other shinobi on the street looked up and immediately sought cover. Daichi, eyes wide, sank quickly beneath the sand. Kohaku pushed Inkei and Riki to the ground, slamming her hand to the sand and calling the defense that had never let her down. "Ganseki toku! (Rock Shield)" The rock covered the young Genins and the hunter-nin, and the explosion came a moment later.

Kurai was still running over the rooftops, trying to figure out a way to get to Gaara and help him. He had seen the attacker lose their arm to the Kazekage's sand, and he smiled a bit. But when he noticed what looked like a large doll drop to the village, his heart jumped into his throat. _'I'm too far away to stop that, and I'd need serious help.'_ Scanning the streets, Kurai saw his father and the other clan members headed towards him. "FATHER! That thing is heading for us!" Taru looked up and saw what Kurai had, and the clan stopped as one and got ready to use whatever means it took to block the doll. Kurai leapt down and stood next to Taru, focusing his chakra quickly. But before any of them had a chance to act, they saw a wave of sand pour from the sky. The doll impacted the shield, but it held.

"How?.." Taru's voice trailed off as he watched the sky.

"The Kazekage," someone said. "He did that."

"He saved the village," another clan member added. But the victory was short-lived as two more explosions took place, and Kurai felt his stomach twist as he saw what he'd never expected…

Senjo and her mother were almost at the cliffs when a huge explosion forced them to turn around. They saw a large dome of sand over the village, but it was slowly returning to the deep desert. A bird creature carrying someone, and- "Oh no," Naiteki said softly. She could easily tell that the Kazekage was in trouble. His normal defensive sand was slowly falling away, and that was all that was keeping him suspended in the air. Even though she wanted to get to the cliffs and see what had happened, she also knew this was something they needed to see.

"Why isn't he getting back down to the ground?" Senjo asked, her heartbeat beginning to pick up as she watched.

"It would waste too much chakra." Naiteki quickly saw that the wave of sand was being pushed back so that it didn't fall onto the village and crush it. How different his attitude was after being made the Kazekage. Three years ago he would've liked nothing better than to drown the village in the sand, and now… "He's using the last of what he has to protect us."

"But why isn't anyone helping him?" Even as she spoke, Senjo saw a wave of giant arrows fly through the air at the large bird and its rider.

"Baki is leading a counterstrike. He will aid the Kazekage as much as he can." When those failed to hit, another wave of arrows with exploding tags was launched from the catapults on the roofs near the fight.

"Come on, hit the target!"

"Even if they can't, they're buying time for him to move the sand."

"But… But mother, what happens when he runs out of chakra?" Naiteki was silent for a moment, but then she decided that Senjo should know the truth.

"That is the sacrifice he is making as the Kazekage. He wants us all to live even if he cannot."

"Wait, what do you mean-" The sand wave entered the deep desert with a final thunderous crash, and then both women's eyes widened as they witnessed what happened next. "**Gaara**!" Senjo screamed, watching as her friend fell and was caught by the bird. "Mother, we have to help him, we have to go back, we-" Naiteki caught Senjo around the waist and held her tight.

"Senjo, stop! We can't do anything where we are. Let Baki and the others handle it. We need to find out what happened with the sentries." The redhead stopped struggling, holding back tears as she tried to control her emotions.

"I'm sorry. Let's go," she said a moment later. Naiteki nodded and set her down, and they continued for the sentry posts. A minute later, they rounded the last curve and stopped dead. The sentries… All of them were lying motionless on the ground, covered in blood and some lying on pools of it. "Daddy…" Senjo's voice sounded small.

"Check them for any signs of life," Naiteki ordered as she crossed to the closest group of bodies. Senjo did as she was told, but everyone she checked was dead. Naiteki shook her head and ran further down the trail, but Senjo stood rooted to the spot. She moved to the last group and pressed her fingers to their necks. A pulse! Someone had a pulse. She pulled a body off the woman and dragged her carefully onto the trail.

"Hey, wake up! Hey, please answer." The woman moaned and coughed up blood. Senjo dug her medical kit out of her hip pouch and patched the large wound in the woman's side as best she could. "Stay with me, okay? What's your name? What happened here? Did you see who did this?" Green eyes fluttered open and Senjo could tell they were trying to focus, but just couldn't. She cradled the woman's head in her lap and took her hand.

"M-my name is Mai. W-we were at-attacked by… By…" Her eyes closed for a moment, then snapped open with complete clarity. "Captain Yurra. He turned on us when we spotted the Akatsuki duo. I-I don't know if anyone else made it. He got me by surprise, but I stayed down and didn't move. It was almost like… Like someone was controlling him." Senjo felt her heart racing as she carefully moved Mai's head off her lap. She had to find her father, and then she needed to get medics for any other survivors.

"Mai-san, I'm just going to go further up the trail, but then we'll get medics for you and anyone else, okay?" Mai nodded weakly, and then grabbed at her hand.

"You- You're Seishin's daughter?" Senjo nodded, feeling light-headed suddenly. "Go find him. I- I hope he was able to escape notice too."

"I'm sure-" And then the scream echoed down the trail, and every nerve in her body seized up. "Mother! Mother, I'm coming!" She was running a moment later, faster than she ever had. Everything would be okay. They would get medics, they would get everyone patched up, they would- Senjo stopped dead as she saw her mother clutching her father's still form. He was covered in blood, but how much of it was his she didn't know. Naiteki was holding his head and shoulders, and her eyes were wide.

"Seishin, get up! Please wake up! You have to get up!" She suddenly saw Senjo standing there and shouted: "Get back to the village and grab as many med-nins as you can find! Hurry!" There was no arguing, no time even to nod. All there was time for was running and praying silently.

Kohaku retracted the shield and stood as Riki followed her example and hauled Inkei to his feet. Daichi rose from the sand a moment later, and they all gazed up at the shield of sand as it dropped into the desert. "What happened?" Inkei asked softly

"Gaara-sama saved us," Daichi whispered. "He saved us."

"He's the Kazekage," Kohaku said. "It's his job."

"Hey, isn't that Kurai-san and your father?" Riki pointed to one of the streets, where it seemed the entire Hajino clan had gathered. Kurai saw them and ran over.

"Trouble!" he shouted, skidding to a stop next to Kohaku. "They got him."

"Akatsuki took him?" Kohaku asked in disbelief. "Then we need to go after him."

"There's a team on it, already. Kankuro was headed for the desert as well. He'll cut them off."

"I still don't like doing nothing. We should-"

"**Medic**!" someone screamed. Everyone turned to see Senjo barreling through the streets, yelling at the top of her lungs. "At the cliffs! We need medics!"

"Senjo! Senjo, what happened?" Kurai demanded as he ran to her. She grabbed his vest, twining her fists into the thick fabric.

"The cliffs! The sentries, they were attacked! My father-" Taru was gone in the next moment, shouting for everyone to find whatever med-nins they could. "We need to go back! My father-"

"Senjo, we'll only get in the way," Kurai said softly, running a hand down her cheek to try and calm her.

"Father…" Inkei said as Riki and Daichi placed comforting hands on his shoulders. He stood for a moment, balling his hands into fists. Throwing off his teammates' hands in a surprise move, he made a run for the street that led to the cliffs. Daisuke was suddenly in front of him, wrapping his arms around his adopted brother and lifting him off his feet.

"No Inkei, I can't let you up there," he said, struggling to hold the boy.

"Let me go! I have to see dad! He's in trouble and needs us!"

"Mom's with him, and the medics are on their way. There's nothing you can do."

"I want to see him, Daisuke! **Please**!"

"Inkei, stop it!" Both boys looked at the assembled group as Riki walked over to them, grabbing Inkei's head with both hands and meeting his eyes. "Getting upset over this is not gonna help your dad. Your sister's upset too, but there's nothing you can do." Inkei stopped fighting and nodded, and Daisuke set him down and adjusted his grip to give him a comforting hug. Suddenly, they all heard the unmistakable sound of an explosion. All heads turned towards the cliffs, where the sound had come from. More shouting could be heard as more shinobi started heading up there. Senjo collapsed into Kurai's arms, hands over her face as she cried. Inkei struggled anew, but both Riki and Daisuke held him. Kohaku had seen enough. She needed to be out doing something, not standing around like an idiot.

"Kurai, get Senjo home. Daisuke, take Inkei there as well. Daichi and Riki, you two follow. I'll meet you as soon as I can."

"Where are you going?" Daichi asked.

"To do my job!"

"Be careful," Daisuke called out, giving her a weak smile, which she returned before running off. Slipping her hunter mask from its pouch, Kohaku placed it over her face and formed seals in quick succession.

"Hinote bunshin no jutsu (Fire Clone)." Her two copies flashed into existence and looked at her. "We'll all head toward the main entrance from different angles. Do not engage the enemy unless necessary." They nodded, and then the trio split up to try and find where Gaara had been taken.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Finally, a new chapter. While I'm trying to stay as close to the anime as possible, I am taking some liberty with it. Hope you all are finding this story a fitting sequel.

Chapter 3

Kohaku emerged from the rock of the cliffs to see that the entrance was blocked by a huge rockslide. Tracks led away from the village, but there were quite a few trails to follow, so how could she- Wait, one trail had a third set of tracks where others only had two. Someone must've escaped from the slide and set out after Akatsuki. She raced along, hoping they weren't too far ahead. About a mile away, she spotted a dark figure, and as she got closer, realized it was Kankuro. "Where's your team?" she wondered, coming up alongside him. He looked away from her and grit his teeth for a moment.

"Dead. All but two. We were caught in a trap."

"Why didn't you wait for backup?"

"Would you wait if they had taken Kurai or Daichi?"

"Point taken." They kept walking for a bit, and every time Kohaku thought they had lost the trail, Kankuro would find it again. His determination and skill had never been so forward before. "What will you do when we find them?"

"I'm getting Gaara back."

"These are Akatsuki, Kankuro. S-rank criminals. Let's not get stupid."

"Head back then if you want. I'm not returning without Gaara."

"Since when did you become all brotherly?" she half-teased, keeping her eyes on the quiet desert on all sides.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Gaara and I talked for a while when he made the decision to become the Kazekage. And that's when I really realized how much he'd changed. That Naruto kid… He really turned my brother around. And now I need to save him so that he can keep living his dream." More silence stretched between them as they kept walking. The sky soon began to lighten, and both shinobi were growing slightly tired, though neither would admit it. And then, up ahead, they spotted two figures and a large bird. Wrapped in the bird's tail was Gaara. "Leave or stay, Kohaku. Make your decision. But don't get in my way." She frowned slightly, but grabbed her breathing mask and began sinking into the sand.

"I'll be here if things get out of hand." Once beneath the surface, she allowed her senses to follow the fight above as best she could. She did not have to wait long before she felt the chakra belonging to Kankuro's puppets. He was using all three, so his opponent apparently also meant business. Not that she'd expect less from Akatsuki. Suddenly the ground near her trembled, and she saw a form sliding through the sand towards her. Eyes wide, she remained still, hoping the enemy did not see her. She had no such luck. However, when the strange person looked at her, she almost had the impression that he did not think her a threat. The fact that he surfaced right after confirmed her suspicions. He was toying with them. She and Kankuro were both Jounin rank, and her job was to hunt down shinobi like Akatsuki. That their enemy did not think to give her so much as a second glance either meant he was an idiot… Or that he was simply that good. Up above, she could sense that Kankuro was struggling to fend off the enemy's attacks, but she made the decision to stay below and wait. There was doubt in the back of her mind that her help would make that much difference. Another few minutes, and the fight was over, the enemy leaving. She waited a moment longer, then surfaced. Kankuro was laying facedown amid the shattered remains of his puppets.

"Kohaku," he wheezed out when she knelt beside him.

"Idiot. What the hell happened?" He lifted a hand towards her, eyes struggling to remain open.

"Sa-Sasori," he managed to say. The name sent chills up her spine. Sasori of the Red Sands was a missing-nin from their own village, and the genius behind the Puppet Squad that Kankuro was part of. He'd left years ago, and apparently had joined Akatsuki somewhere in the meantime. She needed to get Kankuro back to the village. He knew more than she did, and-

"You should have stayed down, sand flea," a raspy voice said as a wooden scorpion tail the width of her arm plunged into her back.

"Kohaku!" Kankuro yelled as loud as he could. "It's poison!" But Kohaku merely turned her head and looked at her assailant, committing his face to memory.

"This flea bites back," she whispered as she dissolved into fire that stuck to the tail. Sasori shook the appendage furiously to put it out, and then finally forced it into the sand to stop the flames.

"A clone, eh? Hopefully this is the last of the distractions. As I said before: I **hate** making people wait." Kankuro had already passed out when he shuffled away a second time. There was no time to waste, and he needed to catch up to Deidara.

Back in the village, Kohaku shook her head as she registered the destruction of her second clone. The other had proved unsuccessful in finding anything, and had exploded harmlessly out in the desert. "Kankuro, you are an idiot," she said to herself, coming up to the cliffs and seeing that a team was already moving the rocks blocking the way. Baki was overseeing things, and she walked up to him. "Baki-san, do you have a moment?"

"Kohaku, what is it?" he asked, not turning from watching the teams work.

"Kankuro is out in the desert. He had a run-in with one of the Akatsuki members, and he's been poisoned." At this, the older man turned for a moment and sighed.

"There was a team dispatched after him, and they shouldn't be too far behind. I can assume you had a clone follow him?"

"Correct. Modified kage bunshin (Shadow Clones). She was also attacked by the Akatsuki member before she could get much info about him from Kankuro."

"Did you get a name or a former village?" It was her turn to sigh, and she turned her head up to the sky for a moment.

"Both. He's one of ours. But you might want to get Kankuro's version first. My clone might've misunderstood what he said."

"Understood. Now-" There was a commotion among the teams clearing the rocks as a pile began to move. "Get back!" Baki shouted, running towards them. Kohaku also moved, and stood in front of the teams as more rocks began shaking.

"Ganseki kabe! (Rock wall)" The rock of the cliffs responded to her touch, shielding the others as the rock pile blasted outwards. A moment later, everyone heard:

"I need a medic, **now**!" Kohaku's eyes widened as she dropped the wall and saw her father standing there supporting Seishin. Naiteki was behind him, a bit wobbly on her feet, but otherwise okay.

"Father!"

"Taru-san!" Baki echoed as a medic team quickly got to the Tanamaris and began working on Seishin. Taru walked over to his daughter, nodding grimly.

"He's alive, but barely. And that damn trap didn't help matters. Impatient shinobi always get others into trouble."

"Kankuro?"

"Yes, and most of his team was caught in that blast. We were farther up the trail from them when the explosions took out part of the walls. Baki, there were no other survivors."

"Understood, Taru-san. We'll clear everything as soon as we can."

"I'll send a few of our clan to help. Hopefully they can get to any more exploding tags or other traps that might still be in that mess. For now, Kohaku and I will be leaving." Baki nodded, but Kohaku frowned for a moment. There was something not quite right about this. Her father seemed very business-like, but why? He had just blasted through the remains of a rock slide that could've killed him, and both his former teammates were injured. Tanamari-san especially looked awful, blood everywhere. Though she knew that he could put his emotions on hold, Taru still seemed very distant and cold. And then it hit her: The Kazekage. Gaara was gone. This was an opportunity that her father would not pass up. The chance to possibly get a Hajino as village leader. The thought sickened her a bit, but when Taru came up beside her, she merely nodded and trailed along behind him. When they were a good distance away from the others, Taru turned to her. "This is the day we have been waiting for. That monster is gone, and hopefully forever."

"Father, he is still the Kazekage, no matter your personal feelings for him. There is still a chance he will be rescued."

"Rescued? By who, Kohaku? Who of this village would risk their lives to help him?" Her eyes narrowed and darkened as she stood in front of her father, voice low and even as she met his gaze.

"I would, and so would my brothers. Talk with the Clan if you wish Father, but I for one will have no part of this idea. There is a reason I live on my own. I am a Hajino in name and blood only. The idea of trying to replace the Kazekage so soon after he saved us disgusts me." She did not stay to hear the outrage that would likely follow, but instead turned and bolted for Senjo's house. Reaching there in record time, she flung the door open and immediately slammed it shut behind her. Daisuke started from the chair he'd been sleeping in, and looked over.

"Kohaku? Kohaku, what happened?" He stood and walked over to her, and she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace.

"My father… It's always my father, Daisuke. He's the only one who could ever anger me this much."

"What did he say now?"

"I believe he wishes to replace Gaara with one of our Clan." Silence enveloped the room for a moment, and then Daichi wandered in from further in the house, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Kohaku, what's going on?"

"Nothing Daichi. I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's okay. Inkei snores, so I wasn't sleeping great anyway. Riki and him are laying down still."

"Where are Kurai and Senjo?" Daichi shrugged and smiled slyly.

"Where do you think?" he asked, walking into the kitchen. Kohaku looked at Daisuke for an explanation, and he sighed.

"Senjo wouldn't calm down, and she wouldn't let Kurai leave her. They're sleeping in her bed right now."

"Then we'll let them sleep. I'm a bit tired myself."

"Any word on our mother and father?"

"They're both being treated by med-nins. My father managed to save them from the worst of the explosion at the cliffs. Hopefully Tanamari-san pulls through." Daisuke smiled and hugged her again.

"He's stubborn, and he knows mother would just kill him all over again when she found his spirit. So let's get you to bed. Then we'll discuss everything when we're all a bit more awake."

"The village is a mess right now. At this point, I don't know what we're going to do. But sleep does sound like a good idea."

"Everything will look better once you've had a chance to refocus." Kohaku nodded and followed Daisuke back to the living room, where he went back to the chair and she curled up on the couch. The words she'd said to her father kept repeating in her mind, and she shut her eyes tight to block them out.

"Akatsuki is going to regret messing with Hidden Sand," she whispered as she finally fell asleep.

Kurai rolled over and shook the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, momentarily confused by his strange surroundings. The room he was in was painted a soft blue like the sky, not the tan color of the natural stone. And when had he- And then he remembered: He was in Senjo's room. A quick glance to his left revealed the sleeping form of the redhead, nestled snugly against him with her head on his shoulder. "Senjo," he whispered, gently touching her shoulder.

"Five more minutes," she replied softly, smiling and rolling over without even opening her eyes. Kurai nodded to himself and extracted his arm without further waking her and moved the sheet back over her. His eyes caught the pictures on the wall above the bed, and he smiled. It was a series of three photos, all of the trio: The first was when they had become Genins, the next was after passing the Chuunin exam, and the final one was when he and Kohaku had been recognized as Jounins. The next picture in the sequence would obviously be when Senjo herself made Jounin. With circumstances being as they were currently, that reality might be fast approaching. Leaving the room silently, Kurai walked into the hall and peered into Inkei's room. Daichi and Riki were lying on sleeping mats on the floor, and Senjo's brother was sound asleep on his bed. Allowing the Genins a bit more sleep, he went downstairs and found Daisuke and Kohaku just waking up in the living room.

"Morning," he said to them, taking a seat across from his sister.

"Probably more like early afternoon," she corrected with a yawn, shaking her head to clear it. "It was morning when I got here, and you were all still asleep." There was a moment's pause as she frowned. "How are they doing?"

"Senjo seems a bit better. She stopped crying a little after we got here, and then I got her to sleep. Daichi and Riki had to practically wrestle Inkei into bed, and that seems to have worn them all out.

"Speaking of the kids, I believe their mentor was at the cliffs last night, but I don't think they know yet." Daisuke told them. "With it being so close to the Chuunin exams, this might hurt their chances of going."

"The Academy will find a replacement teacher if that is the case," Kurai explained. "And worse case, I'll go with them to Konoha. I would have been going anyway to see the exam."

"We'll discuss that when the time comes," Kohaku said as she stood and began pacing around the room. Both young men looked at her, then at each other. Pacing was Kohaku's way of showing frustration, and by the look on her face, there was something very wrong going on.

"You mentioned your father when you came in," Daisuke prodded. "Care to tell us what happened?" She stopped pacing and hooked a finger around the strap of the pouch that held her mask, then locked eyes with Kurai.

"Father wants to make a bid for a Hajino as Kazekage." He merely grimaced and nodded. Daisuke appeared a little surprised, though he'd heard the news earlier.

"But, why would he wish to do that so soon after Gaara-sama was taken?"

"Because that's what our father has been waiting for. For Gaara either to snap, die, or be taken from the village. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by the idea, but it doesn't surprise me."

"What are we going to do, Kurai? I already told Father that I want nothing to do with this idea." Now her brother stared at her, eyes wide.

"You **told** him that? Kohaku, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I'm tired of all this. We've had to deal with Father talking about us – no, you getting rid of Gaara since we were two. Even after it was clear that he'd changed, Father's attitude and intentions never did. You practically defied his wishes and kept your position as heir to the clan, and Daichi all but studies from Gaara directly. I've kept my mouth shut long enough, but no more. I don't want to be beholden to Father any longer, and if it means leaving the Clan, then I will." The silence stretched on for a while as Kurai sat there with his hands clasped in his lap. Daisuke's gaze kept bouncing back and forth between the siblings, and he wasn't sure if saying something was a good idea or not.

"Then what would you like me to do, Kohaku?" Kurai finally asked. She threw her hands up in frustration and turned away from him.

"I don't know! There isn't anything you **can** do, short of challenging Father for direct control of the Clan." Again there was silence, and she whirled to face her brother, who had a smug grin in his face. "Are you **insane**?" she demanded, moving to stand in front of him. "You can't take on Father!"

"Not yet I can't. But now that I have a goal, it's all a matter of working towards it." He stood and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "All I ask of you is that you stand by me when I issue the challenge."

"You make it seem like I wouldn't."

"Then I'll be fine." Kurai left the room and walked back upstairs, intent on now waking the others. Kohaku and Daisuke were left stunned.

"He is serious, isn't he?" he asked softly. Kohaku nodded as she walked over and embraced the man she had come to love over the two and half years she'd known him.

"Very serious. Once Kurai gets an idea in his head, he'll see it through to the end, no matter the cost."

"Do you really think he can win against your father, though?"

"That will be up to him. But for now, we need to focus on how to get Gaara back. Come on, I need your help at the library."

"What for?"

"Researching a foe from the village's not-too-distant past."

Kurai ran through the streets, frowning as he noted that the sun was beginning to descend out of the sky. It was late afternoon, and he'd spent more time than he'd intended getting Senjo and the kids up and functioning. Riki had gone home soon after, but Daichi had wanted to stay with his friend, and Senjo was still very clingy. Looking down at his little brother, the Jounin sighed heavily. "What is it?" Daichi asked, keeping pace with him.

"Father is probably going to chew us out for being gone so long."

"The whole village is a mess, Kurai. No one is sure what's going on, and it's all we can do to keep a semblance of normalcy."

"Still, we should've been home hours ago."

"If I remember correctly, we were both busy helping those we care about. I'm just glad Inkei decided to go to the hospital to see his parents."

"I just wish Senjo had gone with him. But she insisted that she needed to make the house spotless, and then cook for her and Inkei."

"She's just avoiding the inevitable." Kurai nodded and sighed again. It was unlike Senjo to avoid going to the hospital, especially given the situation. After all, it was Kohaku who hated being in hospitals, not her.

"I'll give it a day or so, then I'll have Daisuke help me drag her there." Though he'd been wary at first of the former Stone ninja, Kurai had soon called a truce with the older boy; and that was slowly becoming a friendship. Senjo had been grateful, especially since Kohaku and her "brother" had begun a relationship a few months after he was made a full Sand shinobi. Kurai broke himself out of reminiscing to find that they'd arrived home, and he took a deep breath before entering the house. "Stay quiet and let me take the brunt of it, Daichi," he ordered.

"No argument here." The brothers walked inside, and saw immediately that sandals lined the wall by the door in quite a few rows. That meant that the rest of the Clan was already here. Atsui poked her head out of the kitchen and saw them. She quickly went over to them, mouth in a tight line and her eyes betraying no emotion.

"Get into the training room quickly," she said. "Your father started the meeting an hour ago, and was looking for you. How are Seishin and Naiteki?"

"They were taken to the hospital early this morning. Inkei's there now. Senjo's still home," Kurai explained. Their mother nodded and let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Thank goodness. After dinner I'll go down and see them. Maybe Inkei will want to stay here for a bit before he goes back to see them."

"Maybe. If you'll excuse us, mother, I'm sure we've made Father wait long enough." Atsui nodded and let them pass. The door to the training room was closed, but the boys could both hear talking coming through, and Kurai opened the door and walked in without hesitation. Twenty-seven pairs of eyes shifted to look at the brothers, and Daichi shrunk behind Kurai for a moment as their father leveled his disapproving gaze at them. Seemingly ignoring it, Kurai stopped and bowed, and Daichi followed his lead. "Forgive us for being late, Father. Please continue with the meeting. We'll catch up on the subject quickly."

"Where have you two been?" Taru demanded, dismissing the apology.

"We were at the Tanamaris and stayed longer than we should have."

"Any word on their conditions yet?"

"No Sir, not yet. Inkei is with them now, and I'm sure he'll let us know if anything changes." Taru nodded and jerked his head at the benches surrounding the training pit in the center of the room where he was standing. The elders and other adults of the Hajino Clan were all seated around the room, and Kurai quickly pulled Daichi to where there were open seats. "As I was saying, there is no longer a need to wait for the vessel to slip into his old ways. We now have the perfect opportunity to let the Elders of the village choose a truly worthy Kazekage, not just some puppet that they believe they can control. What we need to do as a Clan is choose who will make the bid for Kazekage, and present our case to the Council."

"Do we have any criteria for choosing our candidate?" one of the older men asked. "Say, based on age or the like?"

"The only criteria I'm setting forth are that the candidate must be a Jounin, an active ninja, and demonstrate complete control over all our techniques."

"Do you have anyone in mind, Taru?" his brother asked.

"If no one will object, I have two candidates in mind: One is myself, and one is Kurai." The room went silent as all eyes focused on the young man. He sat there wide-eyed, scarcely believing he'd heard his father correctly.

"Father, with all due respect, aren't I a little young to be considered to lead the village?" Nods and whispers traveled across the room, but Taru shook his head.

"Nonsense, you're never too young to earn rank. Besides, there would be advisors if a situation was something you'd never handled before."

"Father," Daichi spoke up softly, keeping his eyes down. "What about Gaara-sama? There's still a chance he could return-"

"The abomination is dead, Daichi. He deserves no honors from anyone anymore. Akatsuki took him, and I highly doubt they will see fit to even return his corpse once they're through with it."

"How can you say that?" the boy asked, his voice getting louder as he looked up. "He's still the Kazekage-"

"After a few days, the Elder Council will likely declare him dead, and then they will need to select a new leader before the other Hidden Villages have a chance to attack us in a moment of perceived weakness. That is why we must be ready. Do you understand?" The tone in his father's voice was a warning one, and Daichi merely nodded and returned his gaze to the floor. Kurai saw his fist clench in his lap, and he put a hand on his brother's shoulder for a moment. "Now then, I want all of you to return home and think about this. Tomorrow morning I want to have names of any other candidates you believe are worthy. Then we will gather again and choose one. Until then, you are all dismissed." Everyone stood and bowed.

"Yes, Taru-san," they said in unison. The adults began leaving, but Kurai sat down again, and Daichi did the same. When they were alone with their father, he shut the door once more.

"Where is your sister?" His voice was icy and flat, and Daichi's eyes widened slightly. "Kurai, that requires an answer."

"Sir, I saw her this morning at the Tanamaris, but she left soon after with Daisuke, and I didn't ask where she was going."

"The next time you see her, bring her to me. Her attitude regarding the incident with the vessel needs to be changed."

"Father, with all due respect, I feel the same way she does."

"Are you telling me you actually **like** taking orders from that monster?" Taru closed the gap between them, standing now only a few feet from the boys.

"I thought we discussed this when he originally became Kazekage? Yes, I have no problems following him. The Council approved him, and he has shown his devotion to the village time and again. It was he who saved us last night, after all."

"You mean with that shield of sand he used to block the explosion?"

"Yes. And then even when he could've used his last bit of chakra to get to safety, he instead recalled the sand so that the village would not be in danger when he lost consciousness. For that, he has my respect."

"And so you will refuse to take part in my plan to place the power of the Kazekage where it has always belonged?"

"I will refuse to be the candidate, but I can hardly refuse the Elder Council if they agree with you and make one of the Clan the Kazekage."

"Don't tell me you still think you're too young."

"No Father, I just think that I haven't earned that position yet. Perhaps when I do become older and wiser, it will be something I strive for. But right now, I do not believe I am fit to lead the village."

"You have more sense than your sister," Taru said after a few moments of silence.

"She was tired and stressed when she said what she did. I'm sure that now she regrets it." It was a complete lie, he knew. But maybe it would be enough to calm Taru down when he spoke to Kohaku.

"Let us hope so, for her sake. Still, I want her brought here so that I may have a talk with her. I will not tolerate that kind of attitude from anyone in the Clan, let alone one of my children."

"Yes Father, I understand." He and Daichi stood to go, and the younger boy made it out of the room first. But when Kurai had one foot out the door, Taru spoke again:

"When you bring Kohaku here, I want you to give her this message: If she truly believes she is a Hajino in name and blood only, I will alleviate one of her problems." Kurai turned slowly back to face his father, not quite certain he understood.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, that she will be disowned if she does not start acting more like a Hajino. She will be cast from the Clan, and her status among us reduced to nothing. Furthermore, she will not be allowed to see your mother, Daichi, or you again." Shock was plainly written on the young man's face as he felt his stomach drop and his eyes widen.

"Father, Kohaku is my sister. My **twin** sister. There is nothing that would ever be able to take that away." Taru smirked, and then turned away.

"Then maybe that will give her something to consider before she defies me again." Kurai left the room and slammed the door shut behind him.

"Kurai, what-" Daichi began, before he saw the look on his brother's face: It was full of anger and rage that threatened to boil over at the next person who annoyed him. Ducking back into the kitchen, he waited until he heard the front door open and close, and then turned to his mother, who sat at the table with a confused look on her face.

"Daichi, what's wrong? Where is Kurai going?"

"I don't know, but he looked pissed." Kurai stalked through the streets, keeping his eyes straight ahead. He did know where Kohaku was, as he'd heard her say to Daisuke that she wanted his help at the library. He reached the large building in record time, not bothering to say a word to anyone there. Spotting Kohaku amid a stack of books, he walked right up to her and slammed his hand down on the table, startling a few other people. She merely looked up, annoyed that he had bothered her when she was researching a potential target.

"Kurai, what-"

"I just spoke with Father," he said through gritted teeth. Daisuke walked up at that moment, carrying a few books. His gaze went first to Kurai, then to Kohaku, and back again. He set down the books and stood at the other end of the table; within earshot but just outside physical reach.

"What happened?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

"He said that if you defy him again… That he will disown you."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"That's not all. He also said you will never be allowed to see Mother, Daichi… Or me ever again." Her eyes widened for a moment before darkening, and her fist clenched so tight her knuckles cracked.

"So that's it then? Not only would I be disgraced and cast out of the Clan, but I would never be able to see you or anyone else again?" Kurai nodded slowly, and his gaze came to rest on her arm that was on the table. Her sleeve was pulled back slightly, and he saw the scar on her arm. The scar that had been put there by someone she had cared about. Taru wouldn't physically hurt her, but emotional scars could run just as deep.

"Kohaku, I swear that I won't let that happen. But I need more time. So you're going to have to tell Father what he wants to hear for now."

"And go against everything I believe? Kurai, you're asking me to betray myself."

"I know, but it's what needs to be done. I just need time to prepare so that I can challenge Father." A sly grin slowly crossed her face, and he frowned.

"You better hurry then, or I might challenge him myself."

"Kohaku, no offense, but you can't stand up to Father."

"I know. I'd rather be dead than let him strip me of everything I am. But enough of that. Now that you're here, Daisuke and I have found a few things."

"Like what?" The older boy came over to them and sat on Kohaku's other side.

"Sit down. We've got a few things to tell you, and none of them are good." Kurai obeyed, and then Kohaku pointed to the book she'd been reading.

"How much do you remember about Sasori of the Red Sands?.."


End file.
